Since it is imperative that the seats in motor vehicles not be slideable in the event of a collision, the longitudinally adjustable seat is provided with a locking mechanism, wherein a pawl engages into an aperture provided on the lower track when the seat is in the locked position. The motor vehicle seat can be locked in various positions, because the lower track has several such apertures arranged therealong which can be selectively used for locking the seat into position.
If after releasing the handle of the longitudinal adjusting mechanism, the pawl of the seat locking mechanism happens to be positioned between two such spaced apart apertures, the pawl is temporarily unable to snap into latching engagement. In these instances, seat locking will usually occur during subsequent vehicle braking as a result of inertia induced forward seat displacement.